DWARF Standard

DWARF Version 4 Released

June 16, 2010

The DWARF Debugging Information Format Committee is pleased to
announce the availability of Version 4
of the DWARF Debugging Information Format standard. The DWARF debugging
format is used to communicate information between a compiler and
debugger to make it easier for programmers to develop, test, and
debug programs.

DWARF is used by commercial and open source compilers and debuggers
to support debugging of Ada, C, C++, Cobol, Fortran, Java, and several
other programming languages. DWARF is used with many processors: ARM,
Intel/AMD x86, MIPS, PowerPC, and many others, from 8-bit to 64-bit.
DWARF is the standard debugging format for Linux and is widely used
with embedded processors. DWARF is designed to be extended easily to
support new languages and new processors. DWARF Version 4 is compatible
with Version 3, making it easy for compiler and debugger developers to
upgrade their development tools. Most programmers will not notice the
differences when using compilers or debuggers that use DWARF Version 4,
although they may see improvements in debugging their programs.

The DWARF Committee consists of representatives from a broad range
of companies, including Apple, ARM, CodeSourcery, Concurrent Computer,
Eager Consulting, Google, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Red Hat, SGI, Sun
Microsystems, and TotalView, as well as unaffiliated individuals
with significant experience in compiler and debugger development.

Michael Eager, Chair of the DWARF Committee, said "we have made
significant improvements in Version 4 since the previous version
was released in 2006. These include improved data compression,
better description of optimized code, and support for new language
features in C++. Debugging programs can be difficult. Providing
the best quality information to programmers can make this easier."

The DWARF Version 4 standard can be downloaded without charge from
the DWARF website (dwarfstd.org).
Additional information about DWARF, including how to subscribe to the
DWARF mailing list, can also be found on the website. Questions about
the DWARF Debugging Information Format or the DWARF Committee can be
directed to the
DWARF Committee Chair, Michael Eager.